Cummings eyes fresh approach with Viewed
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 28, 2009
Bart Cummings has long worked on the theory of 'miles in their legs' in planning his Melbourne Cup assaults. But last year's result may have forced a change of attitude. Andrew Eddy reports. It is understandable that, with 12 Melbourne Cups to his name, Bart Cummings would be wary of changing his successful formula. But the Cups Kings is open-minded about his approach to this year's race with last year's winner Viewed, which begins his campaign in Saturday's Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.Cummings was forced to try something different last year for his 12th Melbourne Cup win. A different approach had to be taken after Viewed missed a vital run a week before the Caulfield Cup when he was kicked at the barrier and scratched before the Yalumba Stakes.It meant he did not have a run for four weeks leading into the Caulfield Cup, in which he finished 10th. He then ran last in the weight-for-age Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington three days before his Melbourne Cup triumph at odds of $41.Instead of it derailing his Melbourne Cup assault, Cummings this week conceded the forced late change in Viewed's preparation may have been the difference between victory and defeat on the first Tuesday in November."It might have been a blessing in disguise as it might mean that he appreciates a lighter campaign," Cummings said this week. "I originally thought that he'd done a very good job to win the Cup considering the problem he had but it might have worked in his favour missing out on that run."I've set no concrete plan for him on the way [to the Melbourne Cup]. It just depends on what it takes to get him there in the right shape."Viewed's missed run in the 2000-metre Yalumba Stakes meant he went into the famous Flemington two-miler with just 7600m of racing in his spring campaign. It is doubtful any of Cumming's previous 11 winners went into the race on such a light campaign.Cummings said he had never intended on giving Viewed a particularly tough spring campaign as he was coming off a Sydney autumn carnival and Brisbane winter carnival.The horse won the Brisbane Cup by seven lengths on June 9 so was afforded only a short time in the spelling paddock before the spring. But still, Cummings planned to give him five or six races before the Cup. Ultimately, he had just four lead-in runs.Cummings has long used the technique of racing his horses over more than 10,000m in their lead-ups to the Cup. Certainly since detailed records have been kept, he has insisted on the "miles in their legs" strategy.When Kingston Rule won the Cup in 1990, he came off 13,400m of racing and the following year Let's Elope had 10,800m of racing before her Cup triumph.In 1996, Saintly had run over 11,540m and in 1999 Rogan Josh had 11,640m in his legs leading into the 3200m feature.Viewed takes his first step towards the Cup when he runs first-up in the group 2 Memsie Stakes over 1400m.Cummings said he could not be more pleased with Viewed going into his first-up run, although he expected no miracles. "He did well spelling and has come back in good order so I'm happy at this stage," he said.The master trainer's tilt at the 2009 Melbourne Cup took a jolt earlier this week when his 2007 Queensland Derby winner Empires Choice had surgery for a fractured hind leg. But the trainer has 10 other horses that could win him a 13th Cup.Also ready to begin campaigns are the up-and-comers Precedence, Dandaad and Naval Escort."They've got to get into the race [Cup] but they'll all be given their chance," Cummings said. "Precedence looks like a nice stayer and he's come back well while Dandaad has really matured and filled out into a nice horse. He showed he could stay last spring in the 2800-metre [race] on Cup day and he's stronger and healthier this time. Naval Escort's only got a very low rating of about 68 so he'll need to step up but he might be up to it."Cummings said he was unlikely to unleash his AJC Australian Derby winner of last season Roman Emperor in Melbourne until after Sydney's early spring carnival. "I'll take him through the weight-for-age races like the George Main before we take him to Melbourne," he said.The past two Melbourne Cup winners face off at Caulfield in the Memsie in what may be the first of several clashes this spring.Nick Williams, son of Efficient's majority part-owner Lloyd, said Efficient would have a busier spring schedule than has been the case over the past two seasons."He's a bit ring rusty as he's only had four runs since he won the Cup in 2007," Williams said. "He's in for quite a bit of racing as we've got to get him back into the swing of things so you can expect to see quite a bit of him this spring."Efficient, which began his racing career in 2006 as a steely grey, is now almost totally white, Williams says, but more importantly, he is as sound as he has ever been. "He's in great order and is running around like a young horse," he said.Williams said former Kiwi galloper C'est La Guerre, which ran third in the Melbourne Cup last year, will resume racing on Saturday week in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.Hoofnote: Max Presnell is taking a two-week spell.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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